Chasidut do Psalmów 85:78
Kedushat Levi
Midrash Rabbah 8,5 relates that at the time when G’d was about to create the physical universe containing man, Truth objected, saying that man would be a corrupt being; as a punishment, i.e. means of educating Truth, G’d condemned Truth to descend to earth and “live” there.
In order to comprehend the meaning of the Midrash we need to remember that lying, the opposite of truth- is a sin which is in a category by itself, as people known to be liars will find it difficult if not impossible to be accepted in society even in this imperfect world where most people indulge in one sin or another. If someone desecrates the Sabbath, this will not be held against him by most of his peers who feel that it is a matter between him and G’d. If someone deliberately hurts others bodily, or even commits murder, the courts will punish him accordingly. In other words, there is a built in incentive on this earth for people not to commit murder, etc., as they know they will pay a heavy price when found out. Lying, because it is difficult for the courts to deal with, is dealt with by consensus of one’s peers who will shun the company of known liars. Sending “truth” to earth was G’d’s way of providing incentives for potential liars to be truthful, as otherwise they would be ostracised by their peers.
[In other words, rather than seeing in the Midrash above a “punishment” for truth having opposed the Creator, our author sees in it an acknowledgment by G’d that “Truth” in opposing the creation of the human species had a valid point, and He appointed “Truth” to be active on earth in order to minimize the potential danger to the whole species if too many people were to make lies their way of life. Ed.] The message of the Midrash is that without “Truth” the human species would not survive for long.
In order to comprehend the meaning of the Midrash we need to remember that lying, the opposite of truth- is a sin which is in a category by itself, as people known to be liars will find it difficult if not impossible to be accepted in society even in this imperfect world where most people indulge in one sin or another. If someone desecrates the Sabbath, this will not be held against him by most of his peers who feel that it is a matter between him and G’d. If someone deliberately hurts others bodily, or even commits murder, the courts will punish him accordingly. In other words, there is a built in incentive on this earth for people not to commit murder, etc., as they know they will pay a heavy price when found out. Lying, because it is difficult for the courts to deal with, is dealt with by consensus of one’s peers who will shun the company of known liars. Sending “truth” to earth was G’d’s way of providing incentives for potential liars to be truthful, as otherwise they would be ostracised by their peers.
[In other words, rather than seeing in the Midrash above a “punishment” for truth having opposed the Creator, our author sees in it an acknowledgment by G’d that “Truth” in opposing the creation of the human species had a valid point, and He appointed “Truth” to be active on earth in order to minimize the potential danger to the whole species if too many people were to make lies their way of life. Ed.] The message of the Midrash is that without “Truth” the human species would not survive for long.
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Sefer HaMiddot
For all these matters, all of them are supernal and from a holy place they traverse, from a very extremely awesome lofty source, and they do not contain a single matter which does not command an awesome and wondrous exposition on what its foundations were cast, the reason for the matter, its characteristics, and a very hidden, deep, and wondrous support from within the Written Torah or Oral Torah. It is not for us to elongate on the paramount praise of these matters, because all who add, detract. For it is not hidden from our eyes the lowliness of our worth -- and the greatness of our master the holy Rav, supernal candelabra, OB”M, and his utter hiddenness and concealment from the eyes of the world (people), this being the case, we must put restraint to our mouth, to be silent and not to mention, not to relate the magnitude of his holy praise, not a matter nor half a matter, and the enlightened will be silent now, Almighty G-d Hashem -- He knows and Israel will know (based on Joshua 22:22). Fortunate is he who waits and reaches the days that have aspiration, at the time when the glory of Israel will rise, truth from the earth will rise (Psalms 85:12), a language of truth will be established forever (Proverbs 12:19), it does not say 'was established' but 'will be established' (Tikunay Zohar 63, pg. 95a). The medication for the matter -- silence, everyone, according to the fathoms of his heart, will understand and comprehend the extent, to where these matters reach.
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Baal Shem Tov
"Justice goes before Him, as He sets out on His way." (Psalms 85:14) -- There is a moral teaching here. There are some people who, on their way to fulfil the mitzvah of prayer or some such thing, stop to speak to other people. Even though they afterwards go on to the mitzvah, they have transgressed in not having run with passion, and their punishment after their death will be similar in nature. We know from several books that [after death] one passes over a river on a very narrow bridge, and this is considered as difficult suffering, for one has fear and trembling and needs to run very fast. This is the only way, on a very narrow bridge, to run fast. And then in the middle of the bridge, the Holy One sends an interrupting angel! And this is the very same angel that was created from that mitzvah that was interrupted and caused pain to this angel. From the thought that one had at home, intending to perform the mitzvah, a soul was created for the angel, and in actually performing the mitzvah, a body was created. But since one delayed the creation of that body, tarrying along the way and speaking to people, this angel comes to delay one, and not allow one to run, and this will be very frightening. This is the meaning of "Justice goes before Him," -- the simple meaning is that all one's mitzvot walk before one after death. But when one is careful to go quickly and passionately when going to perform a mitzvah or to the synagogue, and not with laziness, "He sets out on His way" and doesn't interrupt the person crossing the river.
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